OCR Text

New Braunfels Herald Zeitung (Newspaper) - June 16, 1991, New Braunfels, Texas
Opinions
DAVID SULLENS, Editor and Publisher JANINE GREEN, Managing Editor
Page 4A Herald Zellung, New Braunfels, Texas Sunday, June 16, 1991Hvrald-Zeitun;
Published Sunday morning, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday aflern-xtns by New Braunfels Herald Zeitung, 707 Landa St., cr P.O. Drawer 317328, New Braunfels, Texas 78131 1328. Second Class postage paid by New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung at New Braunfels, Texas.
DAVID SULLENS Editor and Publisher
JANINE GREEN LONE' BEASLEY
Managing Editor Advertising Director
cheryl Duvall
Business Manager
KAREN REININGER Classified Manager
CAROL ANN AVERY Circulation Manager
GUS ELBEL Pressroom Foreman
Carrier delivery in Comal, Guadalupe, Hays, Blanco and Kendall counties: three months, $10.25; six months, $ 17.90; one year, $32. Senior Citizens Discount (carrier delivery only): six months, $14.90; one year, $27.00. Mail delivery outside Comal County, in Texas: three months, $18.00; six months, $32; one year, $60. Mail outside Texas: six months, $42; one year, $70.
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Postmaster: Send address changes to P.O. Drawer 311328, New Braunfels,
Texas 78131 1328.
I’ll never be the man my father was
EDITORIALSHELPS solution misses the point
^Otncuvxi) s trussing uic poilu Mere.
' San \ntonio organization calling itself HELPS — Habitats ii r i ndarijrcrcd, Listed and Protected Species — has proposed the creation of an artificial habitat for an endangered species near Comal Springs in Landa Park.
The proposal comes on the heels of the filing by the Texas Chapter of the Sierra Club of a federal lawsuit intended to preserve the natural springflow and thus the natural habitat of the fountain darter and other endangered species that are found at the Comal Springs in New Braunfels and the San Marcos Springs in San Marcos. The lawsuit seeks to accomplish this through mandated reduction of ovcrpumping of the Edwards Aquifer, currently San Antonio’s only source of water.
The proposed “recreation” of the fountain darter’s habitat would be like putting a Polar Bear in a refrigerated cage and contending it was then “preserved” so open season could be declared on all Polar Bears found in the wild.
It is time for San Antonio to get serious about finding a solution for its water problems.
That doesn’t mean devoting its untold dollars and manpower to clearing the way to pump the aquifer dry. It means finding other sources of water and being prepared to spend the money it takes to develop them.
It doesn’t mean coming up with sophomoric attempts to circumvent federally mandated protection of endangered species. It means finding that solution while complying with the law of the land.
And it certainly doesn’t encompass attempts by San Antonio groups to meddle in the affairs and with the property of smaller, neighboring communities to clear the way for sucking the aquifer dry.Bad news for vendor remains best for city
While we cannot help but admire the spirit of entrepreneurship exhibited by Dave Clark, we must commend the decision of the New Braunfels City Council in rejecting Clark’s effort lo amend a city ordinance that bans on-street vending.
Clark, recently laid off as sales director of a local manufacturing firm, had purchased a custom-made ice cream vehicle and proposed to drive the vehicle slowly through residential neighborhoods but not to set up in any single location.
Had the council elected lo amend the ordinance, the door would have been opened lo similar mobile vendor requests and that would not have benefitted our community.
In the first place, many of those vendors would not have been local and health and safety regulations would have been difficult if not impossible to enforce.
Additionally, and perhaps more importantly, small businesses arc the lifeblood of a community such as ours. They plow money back into the community and the arca in many, many ways. Their owners and workers arc involved in the life of the arca. They pay taxes and they spend money lo maintain and upgrade their buildings.
An influx of mobile vendors would hurt these small local finns and that would hurt us all.
We’re sorry Clark cannot implement his plan. He is a New Braunfels resident and most of us would have enjoyed buying and eating his wares on a hot summer day.
But the city council acted correctly.
They were contained in brown manila envelopes and there were two boxes of them.
The first of the two boxes was a cheap metal one like you can find at any office supply or discount store. The second was made by hand of wood and metal. It will be here long after you and I are gone.
The boxes came into my possession many years ago.
My mother gave them to me.
In them, enclosed within the envelopes, are yellowed pages, hundreds of them, that hold the outlines of my father’s sermons.
My father was a Methodist minister. He served churches throughout Northeast and North Central Texas.
I had the boxes for several years before I took the time to open them and browse through what was in them.
Finally I did.
And I’d never before felt so small, so inadequate....
The man who wrote what is in those boxes earned $6,000 the year he died. That was 1966. As far as I know, he never owned a house, or, except for a car, any property of any real value.
Today I make many times the money he did. I own a house worth more money than he earned in his who)** life.
But in the face of what is in those two boxes, of what is represented by the material in them, everything I am, everything I have ever done or prob-
(PDavid Sullens
ably ever will do is so much dust.
For in those boxes is a tremendous understanding, a warmth, a caring. I can imagine the man who wrote the words contained in those boxes as, often late at night, he penned them.
Some of those words were to congregations who, despite his best efforts, simply could not or would not see what he was trying to tell them. His words were compassionate and I truly believe he felt them. Even today, I am unable to feel that way toward some of those with whom he dealt. For many years I was a part of a newspaper that covered much of the area in which my father preached and I found great pleasure in occasionally writing the obituaries of some of those who treated him so poorly and yet to whom and of whom he spoke so kindly.
Some of the words my father wrote were directed toward the grieving families of those whose funerals he conducted.
Some of them bore a powerful message. Perhaps one of the most notable
of those was triggered by a fellow pastor’s announcement that he would take a sabbatical leave — a year off, so to speak. In response, my father wondered rhetorically what would happen if God were to take a sabbatical.
Some of my father’s sermons were written for special occasions. One of those was his Mother’s Day sermon.
Noting that it was worn almost beyond use and that many of its pages were tear stained, he always used his own mother’s Bible when he delivered that message. Holding that worn book, he told his congregation that it had seen his mother through the death by electrocution of one of his brothers and through the death of his father in a hunting accident. He recalled, even those many years later, her smile and her prayers.
I, as a youngster, had little enthusiasm for my father’s sermons. But I did enjoy the illustrations with which he sprinkled them. Some of those linger with me today. One focused on theForumOnly minor news
Editor:
While I can certainly appreciate the humor of your Sunday editorial concerning “dog-tired” animal stories — and be assured the novelly of these cases is lost upon none of us here at the Courthouse — nevertheless I must lake exception to the implication that the county has in any way sought out publicity on these issues.
In truth, the almost daily contact we have had with print, radio and television media has in every instance been initiated by the ‘journalists themselves.
If we as readers arc “dog-tired” of hearing about animal cases, perhaps the media should direct its attention to some of the more pressing law enforcement issues in our county.
Court records reflect that new filings in juvenile court, both felony and misdemeanor, have quadrupled in the last five years. Many of these crimes are truancy- or drug-related. Hot check cases have doubled in the last two years, and while our prosecution efforts have moved apace — we should be returning over $113,000 in restitution alone to local merchants this year — nevertheless it is apparent that in these recessionary times a steadily increasing number of individuals arc financing their existence with “involuntary loans’’ from our business community. The situation onLetter policy
The Herald '/.elluna welcomes correspondence concerning topics of general interest. All letters must be signed and include an address and telephone number for verification purposes — only the name and community of residence will accompany the letter in print. No anonymous letters will be accepted. Length is limited to 300 words and lctlcr-writers to acceptance for publication only once per month. The newspaper reserves the right to refuse any letter as well as edit all letters. The letters become the property of the Herald/titling.
Letters should be sent to Forum. New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung, P.O. Drawer 311328, New Braunfels, Texas 78131-1328, or brought lo our offices at 707 Landa.Your representatives
George Bush
President of the United States The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W Washington, D C. 20500
U S Sen. Lloyd Bentsen United States Senate 703 Hart Bldg Washington, D C. 20510
U S Sen. Phil Gramm United States Senate 370 Russell Bldg Washington, D C. 20510
U S Rep Lamar Smith U S House of Representatives District 21 (Comal County)
422 Cannon Office Bldg Washington, D C. 20510
U S Rep Greg Laughlin U S House of Representatives District 14 (Guadalupe County) 1713 Longworth Office Bldg Washington, D C. 20510
Texas Gov. Ann Richards Governor’s Office State Capitol Austin, Texas 78711
River Road continues lo worsen, with “personality conflicts” and intcr-govcmmemal squabbles seemingly more of a priority than a vastly strengthened uniformed law enforcement presence and roadways kept clear for emergency vehicles.
Obviously, I could go on. The point being, however, that the animals cases are and should be only minor news items — although I defy you to convince the tiger owner’s neighbors of this — which have somehow detracted our attention from those issues whi ;n will have much greater and more far-reaching impact on our community.
Nathan B R he inlander
Comal County AttorneyPublic safety Issue
Editor:
I would like lo ask all persons who arc concerned about the serious subdivision bow hunting problem in die Canyon lake arca to please call the Citizens’ Assistance Hotline al (8(X)) 8423-5789 to request that Gov. Ann Richards lake up die matter of House Bill 1609 in the July 8 Special Session. HB 1609 is a public safety bill designed to protect residents of unincorporated subdivisions —- where manuy of the lots arc no more than 50 feet wide (approximately 1/4 acre). There have been a number of “near accidents’’ from flying arrows, which arc callable of traveling great distances. Children cannot safely play outdoors, nor can senior citizens safely work in their gardens, during hunt
ing season.
HB 1609 passed die House but was delayed in the Senate due to time constraints before the regular session ended. This matter needs prompt attention! The next hunting season, which begins this fall, could be the season when we have an unfortunate hunting accident which we now have a chance to prevent. HB 1609 would prohibit die use of bows and arrows on IO acres or less, the same as the firearms law.
As Rep. Edmund Kuempel wisely stated so well, “There arc places to hunt and places not to hum.”
Please help and make the toll-free call today.
The life you save could be your own!
Betty Moore Canyon luike
Note of thanks
Editor:
I want to thank Wal-Mart, Kmart, H-E-B, Kroger’s, Handy Andy, Clear Springs Catering, New Braunfels Smokehouse, Burger King, Whata-burgcr, TCBY and Ixmghom Grill for your donations and support of Goodwin Primary’s Field Day events.
I also want lo thank all the wonderful parents and odiers that volunteered their lime to help run the events. I hope everyone enjoyed the day, you made it a great success.
Thank you all very much.
Jamie I rani Physical Education Instructor Seguin
death of a farmer’s wife. She was a plain, good woman who had brought up a fine family of sons and daughters. They had all grown and gone away and after she had struggled through a few years with the silent, gnarled man who had been her husband, she simply collapsed, dead, one day. At the funeral, the husband did not weep. And he made no sign of grief at the grave.
But after the simple ceremony was over, the farmer lingered to talk with the pastor. He handed the minister a small, shabby book. “It’s poems,” he said. “She liked them. Would you read one for her now? She always wanted us to read them together, but I never had time. I guess you don’t get
into your head what time’s for until it’s too late.”
ITI never be the man my father was.
But on this Father’s Day, perhaps I’ve just shared some of what he was with you.
Maybe, if you’ll back up and read through that “illustration” (another minister called them “parables,” I think) again, a part of what he considered important will belong to you. And maybe you’ll find time to read the poems before it’s too late.
I think Dad would have liked that.
David Sullens, editor and publisher of the New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung, has made its personal tradition to publish this column, which was first written in 1984, on or around Father’s Day each year.Emotions
Mysticism more than ‘attitude’
By JOHN INGRAM WALKER, M.D.
The April 1991 edition of Unity magazine has an excellent discussion on mysticism by Joseph Wolpert that I paraphrase here:
At the turn of this century behaviorists led by Harvard scholar William James proposed the idea that we can change our lives by changing our thoughts. This discovery has produced three generations of pop psychologists preaching that by changing the inner attitudes of our minds we can change the outer aspects of our lives. r
Today health scientists emphasize the importance of positive thinking and the role that our thought plays in determining the quality of our lives. There is great comfort in realizing that what we experience in our lives is the direct result of what we lh«nk and believe. We can gain some control over our destiny by accentuating the positive.
Of course there is much more to spiritual growth than holding good and constructive thoughts in our minds. No doubt positive thoughts enable us to live better. Yet there is more.
Unfortunately, positive thinking can cause some to believe that they arc God. These people tend to seek the esoteric occult of psychic practices that lead to self destruction. They believe in crystals and all sorts of fantastic magic ant} soon they are out on a limb with Shirley McLain.
Christian mysticism, however, goes beyond mental science and shuns the narcissistic belief that the self is God. Mysticism holds that thoughts received in the mind come from God. He is the giver of life, health, love. Indeed God is the gift itself — God is life, health and love. Spiritual understanding teaches us that God is all powerful.
Through silent, prayful meditation and scriptual study comes spiritual understanding thai reveals God to us. Prayer is not simply an asking process but a listening and wailing process also. Eventually, with prayful meditation God’s love is revealed lo us during the course of our daily lives.
lf we practice mental science we want to demontraic the benefits of our positive thinking — more money, a new car, a new job, etc. But with mysticism, with a true belief in God, these material things become unimportant. We develop a habit of expectation and waiting. We have no fear, no apprehension because we know that God will and is taking care of us. All thai happens to us is a learning experience and an opportunity to grow spiritually. Physical sickness forces us to wait for God’s healing. Our mistakes allow us to wait for God’s wisdom to show us the true path. God doesn’t have what we want, God is what we want.
Dr Walker ti Medical Dacca* at BCA Hill Country Hospital and main lain* a privar pay. chia!/ic practice in New Braunfels
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